Friday, December 30, 2016
Reflections on 2016: Scott Alderton, Stubbs, Alderton & Markiles LLP
All this holiday season, we have been sharing the reflections on 2016 from the Southern California's technology ecosystem. Here, we have the thoughts of Scott Alderton of Stubbs, Alderton, and Markiles LLP (stubbsalderton.com). Stubbs, Alderton, and Markiles is a longtime sponsor of socaltech.com, and represents a wide range of clients, including a significant number of Southern California's most visible startups. You can see all of our holiday reflections here.
What's was biggest news from you or your firm this year?
Scott Alderton: No single piece of news, but a theme going on 15 years - Stubbs Alderton & Markiles is still dedicated to representing entrepreneurs and technology companies big and small in the Emerging Growth and Technology markets. We don't "retrench and pullback" when the market cools down and we don't "move upstream" as we experience continued success. We are committed to the Los Angeles and Silicon Beach ecosystem and we aren't going anywhere, so help us lead, follow or get the hell out of the way!
What's the biggest lesson you learned this year?
Scott Alderton: Success is hard - and it requires devotion and commitment, over a long period of time. Overnight success stories are great and grab the headlines, but the only sure path is commitment, hard work and dedication.
What's your favorite technology gadget, device, or innovation you ran across this year?
Scott Alderton: Without a doubt my personal favorite is the Amazon Echo. I feel like Tony Stark with my own personal "Jarvis." There is so much you can do with Echo to make your life easier, and a heck of a lot more fun. If you don't have one, get it, and dive in!
Finally, what do you think will have the biggest impact on the technology industry in 2017?
Scott Alderton: Despite how much I love my Echo, and think voice activated assistants will be huge, I think 2017 will be the year for Virtual and Augmented Reality. It is going to move mainstream, and be so much more than merely entertainment or gaming. Wait and see!
Scott Alderton is a founding partner of the Firm, Managing Partner, and a member of the Firm's Executive Committee. Scott is co-chair of the Firm's Venture Capital and Emerging Growth Practice Group and chair's the Firm's Interactive Entertainment and Video Games Group.
Scott advises both public and private clients across a number of industries, including technology, manufacturing and distribution of goods in commerce, finance, the Internet, interactive video games, and new media industries.